Sacrifice
by krchecotah
Summary: An AU version of season 3B, where Zelena doesn't show up to add her forgetting spell to Snow's Dark Curse. Charming dies, Hook never gets the potion, Regina and Snow remember the last year, and the royal duo have to make the trip to New York City to try to retrieve an unbelieving Emma.
1. Prologue

**Author's Notes** : This story follows canon through The Missing Year portion of 3B, except for where it obviously diverges. The prologue came off a little angstier than I intended, and while there will be more necessary angst throughout the fic, the whole thing isn't going to be a sad melancholy affair. I'm hoping to get updates out in a timely manner, but I may be starting a new job soon so forgive me if there are extended delays. Please leave me a review and tell me how you like the story, don't like the story, give me constructive criticism, whatever.

* * *

" _I love you. I love you more than anything."_

" _Which is why you have to crush it."_

Warm. Charming's heart is warm. She should have expected it to be she supposes, but she doesn't have much experience with enchanted hearts. There was one of course, but it was as cold as the crypt that surrounded it, having long been abandoned by its former owner. The one pulsing in her palm right now is warm and strong and pure, just like the man himself. She can feel its echo resounding softly within her own strained chest _, ba-boom, ba-boom, ba-boom._

Sacrifice. That's what her stepmother called it. Her unborn child squirms restlessly within her, as if he knows his mother's intentions, and is voicing his dissent. She wants to agree with him of course, but she can't. Charming is right, she has to think of her baby, she has to put him first, no matter what the cost. They have to defeat this witch. There is no other way.

The pot of dark curse bubbles ominously before her, and bitterly Snow wonders just how much more she will have to give up to the malevolent forces that seem to continuously plague her family. Her mother, lost to The Queen of Hearts; her father, lost to The Evil Queen; her husband, lost to The Wicked Witch of the West. There's only so much that one woman can endure.

As she clutches Charming's life force firmly in her shaking hand, she feels anger and resentment at the unfairness of it all. It briefly trumps her sorrow. Then she catches sight of Regina, and her rage instantly cools. Normally a facade of cold indifference or outright disdain, the queen appears to be genuinely distressed by her husband's plight. Such irony that she's finally getting what she wanted for all those years, Snow's happiness destroyed, and it brings her no joy. (And maybe, Snow ponders, she can finally understand the scope of loss that sent the sorceress down the dark path of curses, murder, and revenge.)

Charming's eyes are pleading with her now and she knows that she's stalled long enough. With one final intake of breath she squeezes, and the heart beats, beats, beats…and shatters into a million pieces. The remains fall silently into the cauldron as Charming tumbles limply to the ground. Snow is sure that the life must have been squeezed out of her as well. She can't breathe, she can't think, she can't do anything except cradle his spent flesh beneath her, hold onto him as long as she can.

" _This won't be in vain. We will get back to Storybrooke. We will defeat Zelena."_

Regina is saying something now, trying to comfort her, but she can't process it. The only thing she's aware of is pain. Pain and his body. She places true love's kiss on his unfeeling lips but it's useless, he's gone. Soon purple smoke invades her vision and everything else is gone too, everything but the agony. As purple gives way to black Snow's final thought is that this wasn't worth it. Nothing will ever be worth it.


	2. Back

**Author's Notes** : Sorry for the short chapters. I have a habit of writing and rewriting paragraphs obsessively. Sometimes I just have to stop and publish a piece of story wherever I'm at, or I'll never be able to move on to the next. If you'd prefer I wait until I have a more substantial update, or many many chapters annoys you, drop me a review and say so.

* * *

She's traveled across realms many times by now, but the experience is still disorienting. Curses, it seems, are infinitely rougher than portals. As she tries to sit up in her old familiar bed she is suddenly overcome with a wave of dizziness and nausea. Closing her eyes against the rapidly spinning room she flops back onto her stack of pillows with a groan. A voice in her head warns that there is something decidedly off about this land, but she can't quite put her finger on exactly what that is just yet.

After a few deep breaths she opens her eyes and sits up once again. The room is dimly lit but still she can see that everything is essentially back the way she remembered it, as if the last year away has been nothing more than an impressively vivid dream. Hope flares briefly in her traitorously illogical heart, and she chokes out "Henry?" on a sob. "Henry!" she tries again with more force, and again, louder and more desperate. Again and again she cries his name, working herself into a frenzy, crescendoing up until her screams are almost blood curdling. If he were to somehow appear before her right now he would think her in a fit, her wild, tear-stained eyes hold the look of madness.

To her great disappointment however he doesn't. The pristine mansion is as silent as ever. "Of course not," she eventually scoffs. Dreams aren't for villains, only nightmares. She should know by now not to think any differently.

With a heavy sigh she pulls herself out of bed. Still a bit shaky, she has to lean on the frame for support as she sluggishly makes her way across the room to her window. The blinds are thrown back tentatively, she still has that nagging feeling of wrongness, but the cursed town stretches out before her once again. It's eerily foggy today, she can't see far, but the shapes and shadows of the modern buildings are familiar, and she has no doubt that the ocean lies just beyond them, vast and timeless, waiting to swallow her whole should she foolishly decide to travel outside the desolate gloom.

She shuffles to her large closet and has to sit a minute before she finally pulls down a jacket and a matching skirt. The fashion of this land is quite plain and ordinary, and she finds that she both misses and does not miss her queenly regalia. Her stiff studded collars made her feel powerful and important, but there's something to be said for blending in. For being able, for a moment, to forget….

Feeling a bit stronger now she makes her way into the bathroom. Blending in is one thing, but it's quite another to present oneself as a completely disheveled wreck. The motions are old and automatic, and she finds calmness in the everyday mundane. Soon a new face emerges in the mirror. Maybe not a fairytale queen perhaps, but at least a highly capable mayor. Or maybe Snow's the mayor now, who knows. In either case at least she no longer looks like a bleary-eyed, down trodden peasant. She'll be damned if she ever gives off the vibe that she's not in complete control. That kind of weakness is dangerous.

Her phone rings then and she nearly jumps out of her skin. That little piece of technology was of course not present in her previous realm. With a grunt at her own edginess and a roll of her eyes she snatches the device off the nightstand. "Hello?" she demands. The voice on the other end of the line almost breaks her heart, so full of anguish it sounds when it says her name.

"Regina…" There is a long pause between them, and she can't think of anything to say, can only listen to Snow's ragged breathing. "It worked," Snow finally mutters defeatedly, and all Regina can respond with is "Yes".

Another long pause and Regina manages to get out "I'll be right over," as Snow wordlessly hangs up. Not yet 100% and still a bit uneasy Regina struggles to hurriedly pull on shoes and rummage around for her keys. She can't help a glance at Henry's bedroom as she passes it in the hallway. Although now empty, she is relieved to find that it is still there, just as he left it. She's not sure she could have taken it if this new curse didn't return it intact. The storybook she remembers Pan (not Henry, she thinks ruefully) questioning her about is suspiciously absent, and briefly she wonders if the little bastard or his shadow took it, but she doesn't have time to question that right now.

She's able to make it down the stairs and out to her vehicle without incident. As she twists the key in the ignition the old Mercedes sputters repeatedly before finally springing to life, and she wonders just what exactly she should say to Snow White. Nothing she's considering can possibly make things better, she knows this for a fact. Still, she hopes that her stepdaughter will prove to be a bit more resilient than she was, that unlike her, she will be able to endure her own great loss somewhat intact. She's not counting on it though, and mindful of the thick gray fog that has yet to dissipate, she presses the accelerator down heavily.


	3. Comfort

**Author's Notes (Amended):** Some readers have asked if this is going to be a SnowQueen story. My answer is yes, primary, but only in the platonic/non-romantic sense. BroTP I think is the term? And there will be other characters eventually.

* * *

The drive to Mary Margaret's place takes longer than expected. She could have just poofed there of course, but she's still a bit queasy and being off on a teleportation spell? Well, she'll never forget the dark imp's laughter the first time _that_ happened. Visibility is limited in the gloomy miasma, but at least superficially the town appears to be no worse for wear. She doesn't encounter any Storybrooke residents along the way, but she thinks that's just as well. She needs some time alone with Snow and she doesn't want interruptions. She can already hear the accusation in that irritating grumpy dwarf's annoying voice. With any luck she's not the only one experiencing lingering disorientation, and it will be some while before they have visitors.

When Snow doesn't respond to her knocking Regina lets herself in. Snow is lying in her bed in the fetal position, or as close to it as she can manage with her heavily swollen belly. Her eyes are red and puffy and she's whimpering and snuffling. Regina doesn't think she's ever seen the younger woman look quite so defeated. Even during the first curse, with her child gone, her husband "dead", and her kingdom in ruins, she'd defiantly stared a gloating evil queen right in the eye and told her she was going to lose. Regina somehow doubts the princess still believes that part about good always winning just now.

"Snow…" she places a hand on her step-daughter's shoulder but her words fail her. She remembers the pain of lost love all too well. Decades have passed, and still she's never completely gotten over it. She suspects that she never really will. The only things she ever found to help with the heartbreak were sorcery and vengeance, and in hindsight those probably weren't the best options. They only masked the despair. They didn't even begin to heal it.

Regina bites her lip and sighs. Comforting people isn't exactly her strong suit, and she's definitely not one to look on the sunny side. She lays down next to Snow and holds her close. She hopes that maybe just her presence can somehow be enough. She's lost everyone else that she cares about in this life. She doesn't want to lose her too.

* * *

Snow isn't quite sure exactly how long she cries. Time has lost all meaning to her. It must have been a while though; her body seems to have physically run out of tears. Her heart still aches so very painfully but the moisture dripping from her eyes has ceased. Her throat is thick and her tongue is dry and very faintly she can hear the more primal part of her body screaming for water, but she's just too numb to care. She feels her stepmother's weight beside her and leans back into the other woman weakly. A gentle hand caresses her hair and the two of them lay there together in silence.

More time passes by unquantifiable and Snow must have drifted off to sleep, because the next thing she knows Regina is shaking her softly and trying to get her to sit up. Snow opens her eyes and groans and attempts to turn away, but the shaking soon becomes rougher and harder to ignore. "Snow…" _shake shake_ , "Snow…" _shake shake,_ "Snow please, you have to get up." There's a note of desperation in Regina's voice, but Snow is so tired and emotionally sore that she longs for the peaceful oblivion of unconsciousness.

"Leave me alone Regina." The words are harsh and raspy. She barely recognizes her own voice. But she's in no mood to apologize for being snappy. It's not as if The Evil Queen hasn't ever heard worse.

"No," her former nemesis counters unfazed. "Now drink this before you choke on your own tongue." She's holding a glass full of water in her hands, and Snow's far too thirsty to object when she lifts her head up and pours the cool liquid between her lips. Instinctually she gulps all the fluid down greedily. "Better?" Regina asks with a self-satisfied smirk. Snow only glares.

"Snow…" Regina begins hesitantly as she places the cup on the night stand. "I know what you're going through..."

"No you don't," Snow retorts, and Regina's expression is incredulous. "Not exactly." Snow clarifies. "Your mother killed Daniel. You didn't do it yourself," she elaborates glumly.

Regina looks away for a moment, and when she turns back her eyes are wet. "I did the second time," she whispers.

"What?"

"Frankenstein, Whale, whatever you want to call him, after you and Emma got sucked through the portal into The Enchanted Forest, he was able to bring him back. Surely David must have told you?"

"He said it went wrong. That he was a monster."

"Yes. He was confused, violent, and in pain. He almost killed Henry. But when we were alone, just for a moment, he looked at me and he spoke to me, and he was my Daniel again." Her tears are flowing freely now and her voice is wistful. "And then he wasn't. I turned him into dust, but what I destroyed wasn't just the monster, somewhere inside he was also the man."

Snow squeezes her hand supportively. "So where does that leave us then?"

"I don't know," Regina laughs bitterly. "With our children I hope." She looks at Snow's midsection seriously. "Zelena is still after him. We can't stay here forever. We have to finish what we started. I know that you're hurting. I know that you're in pain. You probably will be for a very long time. But you have to be strong now. Your family needs you. You have to protect them. I can't do it on my own," she admits.

"You're the all-powerful sorceress. What more can I possibly do?" Snow wonders sullenly.

"You can start by getting out of bed. I have an idea about how we can find Emma and Henry, and I need your help. Don't make me kidnap you Snow. It's beneath me."

"I'm pretty sure that nothing's beneath you."

Regina scoffs. "Well I guess you're right about that. But you're pretty heavy now and our recent realm jump has me feeling like crap, so since I no longer have any soldiers around to carry you I'd prefer it if you came with me willingly and under your own power. Now. Get. Up."

Snow wants to protest. She wants to stay in bed alone wallowing in her own misery until nothingness takes her, but her unborn offspring chooses that moment to remind her just what Charming died for with a sharp kick. She promised to protect this child at all costs. She won't let her husband's sacrifice mean nothing. Her currently scowling stepmother is right. She's going to feel the pain of his loss for a very long time, but right now she has things to do. If they succeed she'll have the rest of her life to mourn him.

With a shuddering breath she wipes the last tears away from her eyes, combs her fingers through her now very short hair, and slides heavily off the bed into the shoes that Regina has laid out for her. With a slight nod to the determined witch, she follows her out the door.


	4. Maps

**Author's Notes:** Sorry for the extended delay between chapters. I started a new job with a long commute that doesn't leave me with a lot of free time in my evening hours. I will try to do better about getting updates out faster.

* * *

"Gold's shop?" Snow questions as they pull up in front of the familiar structure. "What are we doing here?"

"I need to retrieve something that's going to help us find Emma and Henry. Something my mother brought here."

Snow visibly tenses at the mention of the sorceress. "Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, if it belonged to Cora, it could be booby-trapped. Who knows what that woman was capable of?"

"Believe me I'm well aware of what my mother was capable of," Regina responds harshly, and belatedly Snow realizes that her comment may have crossed a line. "Sorry," she amends, "But are you sure that it's safe?"

"Safe enough," Regina responds. "Besides, I don't have any better ideas. Finding people is your daughter's talent, not mine."

The small chime clangs softly when Regina opens the door to the pawnshop. The lights are on and the sign says "Open", but no one appears to greet them. Not that Rumple would of course, since he's currently Zelena's puppet, and more than a little insane, but Regina at least expected Belle to be here. _Typical_ , Regina thinks annoyed. Today she could have actually used some help.

"You take that side," she indicates to Snow. "We're looking for an opaque globe with a sharp point on the end."

"The one Rumpelstiltskin used to find Henry in Neverland? You want to use my blood to locate Emma?" Snow asks with dawning comprehension.

"That's the plan," Regina confirms. "Now look."

Fifteen minutes later as Snow is struggling to stand back up after unsuccessfully pilfering through one of the lower cabinets, she casually glances over at Regina, and sees that she appears to be struggling too.

"Regina? Are you okay?"

"Fine," Regina brushes her off with a shake of her head. "I just stood up too fast and got a little dizzy that's all. It's this new curse I think. Ever since we got back I've felt like I'm coming down with the flu. How are you feeling?"

"Physically? Pregnant. But now that you mention it, maybe a little sick? I thought it was just because, you know…." Snow trails off. "This didn't happen before?"

"Not that I remember no," Regina frowns. "But every curse is different. Maybe it will pass. Oh!" Regina suddenly exclaims before Snow can question her further. She pulls the prized orb out of a box with a grin. "Look what I found!"

"What do I have to do?" Snow asks moving closer. "How does it work?"

Regina places the orb on the counter in front of her. "Just prick your finger on the end and let your blood drip onto the globe. It should give us a map with Emma's location."

Snow does as Regina instructs, and they both stare intently at the sphere as it swirls with magic and finally darkens over a portion of a map that the two of them recognize as New York City.

"New York? Not Boston?" Snow wonders aloud.

"It makes sense. I implanted the memory of her Boston home burning down."

"You did WHAT?" Snow exclaims, clearly horrified.

"To cover her ass!" Regina elaborates. "To believably explain why her only worldly possessions were her clothes and her car. To explain why she had no records or pictures of Henry. To give her a reason not to go back to the apartment that she moved out of two years ago. To keep people from asking questions…."

"Ok!" Mary Margaret holds up her hand in a gesture of surrender. "I get it. You were trying to protect her."

Regina's face contorts into an unreadable expression as she ponders this statement. _Was_ she protecting Emma? Henry of course, always, and with everything that she has, but _Emma_? The woman who swept into her life, broke her curse, and stole her son away? Was she really worried about keeping _her_ safe? She deliberates for a moment, but as hard as she tries she can't seem to summon up any remaining ill-will towards the blonde. So maybe, she admits, she _was_. She isn't quite ready to voice that fact yet to Snow though, and only glares at the woman's gentle smile. "Let's go", she says to break up the moment as she jerks the orb off the counter in annoyance. She leaves Gold's shop in a huff with Snow trailing slightly behind her, still smiling.


	5. Second Curse (Not the) Same as the First

**Author's Notes:** There's a lot of dialogue in this chapter, and I'm not sure I'm entirely happy with it. Hopefully it's not too out of character though. Let me know in your reviews if I need to fix it.

* * *

Regina storms out of Gold's shop and throws the magical orb into the seat of her car. As she glances up at Mary Margaret, she feels it again. That spine tingling sensation of wrongness that something here in Storybrooke isn't quite right, that nagging suspicion that the obvious is staring her right in the face if only she'd slow down and look. She pauses for a moment and glances around, but she doesn't see anything out of the ordinary.

"Regina?" Snow has noticed her pause, but Regina still can't put her finger on the exact cause of her discomfort, and she decides to keep ignoring it.

"So, New York," Regina says as she starts the engine and glances at Snow. "You'll need a bag."

"What?"

"Did you think it was just your blood that I needed? No, you're coming with me."

"But I…. can't. I've never left Storybrooke."

"You've never been _able_ to leave Storybrooke. But this is your curse now. There are perks," she winks at her.

"Then what about you?"

"Well I helped cast it. And since I still have my memories, I'm going to assume you didn't try to curse me?"

"No."

"Good, then we should be fine."

Regina throws the car into reverse and Snow White knows the conversation is over. She hopes her stepmother is correct and that everything will be ok, but she can't seem to find her usually steadfast optimism. Right now, everything seems to be very far from "fine". She sighs and twists her wedding ring around her finger absently as the witch drives on.

* * *

Snow stares into her closet in shock. "I don't understand how this is possible Regina. Everything else is exactly the same but, I've never seen these before, these aren't _my_ things."

Regina chuckles at the woman's confusion. "Well they are now dear. And apparently," she says as she reaches for a garment, "somebody likes yellow." Snow frowns at her and Regina shrugs. "I told you, every curse is different, and this one's yours. It adapted itself to you."

"It's still creepy" Snow muses as she examines the maternity wear.

"Well there's certainly no accounting for taste," Regina responds as she crinkles her nose up at the item in front of her and then tosses it aside in disgust. "At least they fit you. But if you ask me nicely I can probably conjure you something better."

"No thanks." Snow snatches a blouse away before Regina can grab it. "I think I'm a little too old to have my mother dressing me."

Regina suddenly stills at the comment, and Snow realizes why: she didn't say _step_. It was a simple omission, an off-hand remark that wasn't entirely thought out. She could easily take it back. Regina turns to face her then with an open mouth, a protest on her lips that never forms, her eyes conveying a mixture of surprise, reluctance, and affection. Snow decides to let the moment hang. She smiles at the older woman and squeezes her hand. Regina, at a rare loss for words, only squeezes back.

* * *

They finish packing Snow's bag in comfortable silence. "Ok, I think that's good," she states as she hoists the slightly worn luggage onto the bed. "What about you?" Are we stopping by your place next to pick up your things?"

"No need." Regina flicks her wrist, and what can only be described as a magical explosion rocks the small apartment. Snow coughs and wafts away the purple smoke.

"Regina! What the hell was that?"

"I….. I don't know," she coughs and kicks at the suitcase now in front of her.

"Regina, _what_ is going on? You've been off all morning," Snow demands.

"I said I don't know ok!" Regina yells frustratedly. "But something's definitely wrong. I could feel it the second we got back here."

"And you just ignored it? Shouldn't we be trying to find out what it is?"

"We don't have time." Regina grabs both cases and beelines toward the stairwell. "Zelena won't stay clueless forever, and we need to be gone from here when she figures it all out."

In her current condition Snow can't really keep up, and Regina is already slamming the trunk closed by the time she grabs her trusty bow and arrows and waddles down the stairs. "Regina…" Snow says haltingly in a warning tone, but the queen just glares at her.

"Get in the car Mary Margaret. I don't want to talk."

Normally Snow would push, but she doesn't have the energy right now to fight, so she just sighs heavily and lets Regina evade the issue. "You know we're going to have to deal with this sometime." "Later," Regina concedes.

Later however comes sooner than either woman thought, as halfway through town Regina suddenly slams on the brakes. "Snow," she asks with trepidation, "what time is it?"

"Umm, 8:15 according to your clock. Why?"

"Because it was 8:15 when we left Gold's shop."

"Are you saying that…."

"Time is standing still? That's exactly what I'm saying."

"Well isn't that just part of the curse? Time didn't move for 28 years when you cast it."

"Yes but that's because I designed it that way. I wanted your suffering to last forever," she admits sheepishly "so I trapped you in a place where you wouldn't age. Time could have moved along normally if I'd wanted it to."

"So what does that mean then?"

"Snow…" Regina pauses for a moment, considering how best to explain it. "Magic is powerful and dangerous. So when you cast a spell, you have to be deliberate. You have to focus all your energy into what you need to do and what you want to accomplish. Any hesitation, any distraction, and things can go awry. Believe me I know."

"So if you don't aim carefully you can shoot an arrow into the wrong target?" Snow surmises.

"Something like that yes. I admit I don't know much about archery. But it's more complicated than that. With magic your emotions can manifest themselves physically, your thoughts can become reality. You have to learn to control them. Usually a sorceress will have years of practice channeling herself mentally before she's able to obtain any real power, but…"

"But you gave me the dark curse," Snow finishes with growing dread. "So this is my fault?"

"No. It's both of ours. I should have instructed you better. But now I have to ask Snow, what were you thinking about when you cast it?"

"David" Snow replies sorrowfully, and Regina's heart breaks for her. "I know Snow, but what _exactly_ were you thinking about?"

"Umm," Snow wipes a tear from her face. "Wishing I could stop the moment. You being there for it. Spending the rest of my life in Storybrooke alone."

Regina pales at Snow's last statement and audibly sucks in a breath.

"What?"

"Alone. You said you were thinking about being alone in Storybrooke. Snow, since we've been here, have you seen anyone else?"

"No…..Oh. OH."

TBC


	6. Oops

**Author's Notes** : Sorry it's taken so long for me to update this story. I've had some computer problems and some major life changes, not to mention a general lack of motivation. I will hopefully get the next update out quicker.

* * *

"UGH!" Regina kicks the front tire of the Mercedes in frustration. "What am I an amateur? How could I not notice this? This isn't my first curse! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!"

Snow watches as the queen paces back and forth in the street muttering to herself, alternatingly stomping, swearing, and clenching her fists in a way that Snow knows will soon lead to massive fires if her step-mother doesn't calm down. Snow has checked all the buildings thoroughly, (well maybe not exactly thoroughly, but at least as far as she was willing to walk and shout in her condition) and it seems that Regina's analysis was correct: they are completely alone.

"Regina." Snow tries with no response. "Regina!" Still nothing. Snow makes her way around the vehicle and grabs the witch's hand midstride. Her step-mother finally ceases her ranting and looks up at her. "Regina, what do we do?"

An eerie wind blows menacingly down the deathly silent street as Regina considers their predicament. Although she's certainly had plenty of experience with casting curses, she's not exactly an expert when it comes to the inner workings of their subtleties. (If she were, she thinks ruefully, Snow White would be permanently snoozing in a glass coffin). Normally she would go consult Rumple on a problem like this. Fine print was always the dark imp's bread and butter, and although he was of course completely untrustworthy, his information was usually solid, and Regina hated to admit, his knowledge of magic far greater than her own.

Regina breathes deeply and steadies herself. Her old mentor can't help her now. Lesson time is over, and she needs to do this on her own. Snow shuffles closer to her and suddenly an epiphany strikes the witch. "We need to go to the place where the wall between the worlds is the thinnest," she tells Snow. "Maybe we can attempt to pull through what was left behind."

"Do you know where that is?" Snow asks.

"No, I didn't, but fortunately Rumpelstiltskin did".

* * *

The wishing well sparkles and crackles with an ominous purple light, and Regina can feel the dark energy radiating from the vortex long before she can see it. It overwhelms her senses, and she has to hold Snow's arm to steady herself before she passes out.

"Well this can't be good," Snow White states the obvious.

The Queen rolls her eyes and almost responds with a scathing remark, but has to bite down on her tongue to keep from crying out in pain when she's suddenly hit with the very unsettling feeling of being ripped in half. Her knees give out and she slumps to the ground awkwardly when Mary Margaret can no longer hold her.

"Regina!" Snow screams alarmed.

"It's too much power," Regina tries not to whimper. "Can you feel it?"

She can, to some extent. A heaviness in the air that makes it hard to breathe. A static charge that makes her hair stand up on end. A general feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach. Her basic human instinct is telling her to flee flee flee. However it's obviously nothing like what her step-mother is experiencing, as the powerful sorceress struggles to stand. Snow remembers a conversation with a fairy many years ago who once told her that those who used magic had to be very in tune with so much more than just the physical world.

"What are you doing?" Snow demands warily as Regina, now back on her feet, stumbles weakly towards the well.

"Testing a theory," Regina responds as she reaches out to feel the vortex. A spark pops out and burns her hand, and she pulls it back immediately, trying to shake away the sting.

"Regina!" Snow starts to run towards her but she holds up her other hand, indicating for her to stop. "I'm fine Snow. I just needed some more information."

"What kind of information could you possibly get by sticking your hand into a giant evil abyss?" Snow wonders exasperatedly.

"Rather good information actually. For instance, it's not really an abyss. Which is sort of the problem."

"Continue," Snow responds as she wraps an arm around her stepmother's waist and leads her away from the stone structure.

"Well, as you know, The Dark Curse opened a portal between this realm and The Enchanted Forest. Everyone in reach of the curse was transported here, or should have been transported here, but…."

"But I screwed it up by thinking too much about being alone. We covered this. I'm sorry I couldn't concentrate on witchcraft while my husband was dying!"

Regina chooses to ignore Snow's outburst. "Well fortunately and unfortunately for us you're not a great witch my dear." Snow glares daggers at her and Regina elaborates. "You didn't bring our subjects with us per say, but you didn't exactly leave them behind either." Regina glances toward the well.

Snow gasps and holds her hand up to her mouth in shock. "Are you saying that, that that giant vortex is full of people?" All the color drains from Snow's face as she tries not to be sick.

"Easy Snow it's not like you liquefied them." Snow does get sick at that comment, and Regina grimaces at her utter lack of tact. When the girl stops retching Regina tries again. "What I mean is, it's their essence in the well, not their actual bodies. I doubt they're even aware of what's happening."

"But you don't know for sure?"

"No."

Snow processes this uneasily. "So what do we do?"

"Right now there's too much energy in the portal for it to close properly. Your spell prevents anyone other than you or me apparently from taking corporeal form here, but this portal only goes one way, so these essences can't get back to The Enchanted Forest either. They're stuck in between. The way I see it we can either try to reverse the portal and send everyone back through, or we can try to reverse your spell and bring everyone here. We unfortunately end up freeing Zelena either way. It's your choice."

"What happens if we do nothing?" Snow wonders suddenly, rubbing at her burgeoning belly.

"You mean aside from damning your people to an eternity as floating spirits?" Regina asks incredulously. "I think the gaping hole in the fabric of reality would eventually tear both our worlds apart. I can already feel it starting, and we've only been here a day. Leaving it open is not an option."

Snow sighs heavily and feels extremely guilty for even considering it. "You're right of course. I was just thinking…"

"You were thinking about Zelena coming after your child again weren't you? It's ok Snow, I get it. You know despite what you and all your hero friends might think, it is ok to be selfish every once in a while. You can put your family first."

"Thanks Regina."

"We can always just send her annoying green ass back to The Enchanted Forest."

Snow considers this for a moment, then shakes her head. "No, she'd probably just find some other way to come after us. Or she'd take it out on our people. I know how irritable witches can be when they don't get their way."

Regina concedes the point. "So it's option #2 then?"

"I guess so. But I also had another thought…"

The sorceress listens intently as Snow White outlines her plan, her eyebrow arching up in surprise. "Well, can it be done?" the princess finally asks.

"Of course, if you can handle it. I'll need to get some supplies."

TBC


End file.
